How to reduce the inhalation of secondhand smoke

A large number of medical studies have proven that secondhand smoke is more harmful to the human body than direct smoking. Therefore, when there are smokers around you, you should try to avoid contact with them. This is especially true for pregnant women, as inhaling large amounts of secondhand smoke may cause fetal malformations. Secondhand smoke not only affects pregnant women, but even normal people often suffer from heart disease due to inhaling large amounts of secondhand smoke. So what are some effective ways to reduce secondhand smoke inhalation?

Be careful of these hazards if you inhale secondhand smoke for a long time

1. Poor memory

Nicotine and other harmful substances in smoke can stimulate the brain and cause hardening of cerebral blood vessels, thus affecting brain function. The intellectual development of children who are exposed to passive smoking for a long time is significantly worse than that of children who grow up in a non-smoky environment.

2. Premature birth is likely to occur

Nicotine and other harmful substances can be detected in the amniotic fluid of 90% of pregnant women who are passively exposed to secondhand smoke, indicating that tobacco smoke directly pollutes the intrauterine environment where the fetus grows.

At the same time, exposure to secondhand smoke has serious effects on children's health in many aspects starting from the fetal period. Exposure to secondhand smoke also affects embryonic cell proliferation and differentiation, leading to abnormal embryonic development, which is manifested in developmental disorders of the nervous system and intrauterine growth retardation. In addition, it is easy to cause premature birth of the baby.

3. Lung cancer

According to a survey, smokers are significantly more likely to develop lung cancer than non-smokers. By analyzing the smoke inhaled by smokers, it was found that the smoke contains dozens of carcinogens. The risk of lung cancer is related to the length of time you smoke. The earlier you start smoking, the greater the risk. The longer you smoke, the higher the incidence and mortality of lung cancer.

4. Cause asthma, pneumonia, and ear inflammation in children

Children generally experience higher environmental exposures than adults because they breathe more air and, therefore, inhale more pollutants than adults. In addition, children are active, have poor self-protection abilities, and have incomplete immune functions, making them most vulnerable to harm from pollutants.

The main hazards of secondhand smoke to children's health include: causing baby asthma, sudden infant death syndrome, bronchitis, pneumonia and ear inflammation.

5. Induce coronary heart disease

Smoking causes heart disease, not only for those who actually smoke, but also for non-smokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke. Exposure to secondhand smoke can cause acute coronary heart disease. Even short-term exposure to secondhand smoke can dramatically increase the risk of coronary heart disease.

6. Causes female infertility

From a clinical perspective, smoking can have adverse effects on women's reproductive function, sexual function, endocrine system and other aspects, increasing the risk of infertility. Clinical surveys show that smokers who smoke directly or breathe secondhand smoke are 2.7 times more likely to suffer from infertility than non-smokers.

At the same time, smoking can seriously damage women's reproductive function and reduce the chances of women becoming pregnant. If both men and women smoke, the woman's pregnancy rate will be lower.

7. Pharyngitis

Long-term exposure to secondhand smoke is a common cause of chronic pharyngitis. Harmful substances in smoke, such as tar, nicotine, etc., can inhibit the activity of respiratory cilia, weaken the purification ability of the respiratory tract, and cause congestion and edema of the bronchial mucosa, thereby allowing external pathogens to enter the bronchi and cause repeated infections in this area, leading to chronic pharyngitis.

◆Tips: Tips to reduce the harm of secondhand smoke

1. Lighting candles can eliminate smoke smell, lighting incense can drive away smoke dust, and toilet water can reduce the damage caused by smoke smell.

2. The first thing to do every morning is to open the windows, wipe the tables and the floor to remove the tobacco residues in the daily dust. Put out the cigarette butts with water or throw them into a paper cup filled with water. Don't put them out directly in the ashtray, as the dust will be inhaled into the nasal cavity.

3. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables (especially those rich in carotene and vitamin C), because vitamins have antioxidant properties and can fight cancer (such as papaya, tomatoes, carrots, pumpkins and other fruits and vegetables).

4. Drink more water and urinate more often. Exercising more and sweating more can speed up the elimination of nicotine from the body.

5. Eat foods rich in selenium, such as animal liver, seaweed and shrimp;

6. Do not smoke while drinking or eating, otherwise it will increase the body's absorption of nicotine and other harmful ingredients.